Vijayawada, 12 November 2020: A comprehensive and dedicated, state-of-the-art Eye Cancer facility ‘Hima Bindu Yalamanchili Centre for Eye Cancer’ was inaugurated at L V Prasad Eye Institute’s Vijayawada campus ‘Kode Venkatadri Chowdary Campus’ in Tadigadapa on 12th November 2020 by Mr Gautam Sawang, Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh. The financial support for this centre has been provided by Mrs Ratna Thulasi and Dr Basaveswara Rao Yalamanchili from Chicago, USA. True to the principles of the L V Prasad Eye Institute, 50% of the services at the centre will be provided free of cost to the underprivileged, irrespective of the complexity of care needed.
“Eye cancer is a cancer that forms in the tissues in and around the eye. It is not only vision-threatening, but can also be life-threatening, and can occur in the newborns, in children and adults. If diagnosed early and treated appropriately, we can save the vision, eye and life of the person. These are also the three important goals that we try to achieve while treating a patient with eye cancer. Recent studies show that the incidence of eye cancer is rising each year in India and worldwide. Given the rarity of eye tumours and complexity of tumour management, there are very few centres in the world dealing exclusively with eye tumours. Thus there is a need to have an exclusive Centre for Eye Cancer with focus on patient care, rehabilitation, education, research, and innovation. This is the first dedicated eye cancer facility in the state of Andhra Pradesh offering all these services under one roof. We are extremely grateful to Mr Gautam Sawang for joining us on the inauguration ceremony of the centre, and to Mrs Ratna Thulasi and Dr Basaveswara Rao Yalamanchili for their generous support,” said Dr Anasua Kapoor, Ocular Oncologist, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Vijayawada.
Different types of eye cancer:
- Eyelid Tumors – arising on the eyelids or eyebrow region
- Corneal and Conjunctival Tumors – on the surface of the eye
- Orbital Tumors – occurring behind the eye and pushing the eye forward
- Intraocular Tumors – occurring inside the eye
Key focus areas:
- Clinical care: The Hima Bindu Yalamanchili Centre for Eye Cancer will be treating the entire spectrum of eye cancer cases with the most updated treatment protocols to achieve the best possible outcomes. The modalities of treatment that will be available are different types of chemotherapy (eyedrop, intravenous, intraocular), minimally invasive orbital surgery, tumour debulking or removal surgeries, different focal therapies (like diode laser, transpupillary thermotherapy, ND-Yag laser, freezing cryotherapy).
- Research: Research in different areas of eye cancer will be performed under the purview of this institute.
- Education: Training will be imparted to ophthalmologists in treating eye cancers. Educational webinars, forum meets, surgical training workshops will also be organized.
- Rehabilitation: The comprehensive services range from assessment and prescription of low vision devices to social, educational, and vocational rehabilitation through training or re-training patients with low vision and blindness owing to different types of cancer to the highest possible level of their functional ability.
- Cosmetic rehabilitation with an ophthalmic prosthesis: The disfigurement resulting from loss of an eye can cause significant psychological as well as social consequences for both the patient and family. Patients who suffer from tumours who have had their eye removed, to save their life, can be fitted with an artificial eye once the healing process is complete at our Ocularistry clinic which is an integral part of our Centre for Eye Cancer.
- Advocacy: When eye cancer is treated early, all three goals of treatment- saving vision, eye and life can be achieved. So different activities for increasing awareness within ophthalmologists, patients and the general public regarding the different presenting symptoms of eye cancer and their appropriate treatment will be an integral ongoing activity of this centre.
- Capacity building: The centre will be focusing on capacity building by partnering and collaborating with national and international ocular oncologists, medical oncologists, radio-oncologists, hemato-oncologists, nuclear medicine and other specialists to consistently achieve the best possible care keeping in mind the ‘patient first’ policy of LV Prasad Eye Institute.
About L V Prasad Eye Institute: The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) was established in 1987 at Hyderabad as a not-for-profit, non-government, public-spirited, comprehensive eye care institution. LVPEI is governed by two trusts: the Hyderabad Eye Institute and the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation. The Institute is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness and a Global Resource Centre for VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative. LVPEI has ten active arms to its areas of operations: Clinical Services, Education, Research, Vision Rehabilitation, Rural and Community Eye Health, Eye Banking, Advocacy and Policy Planning, Capacity Building, Innovation and Product Development.
For further information, please contact:
Dr Anasua Kapoor
Ocular Oncologist, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Vijayawada
Mob: +91 90003 06720
Email: dranasuaganguly@lvpei.org
Website: www.lvpei.org